A block brake of the aforementioned kind is known from German Pat. No. 16 05 853. According to this publication, the brake block having a replaceable brake block shoe is suspended by means of the rotational axle on a pendulum lever serving as intermediate element. At the same time, the piston rod of a brake cylinder serving as push rod engages the rotational axle, the brake block shoe being clampable against the vehicle wheel by the force of this brake cylinder. In the pendulum lever, two friction blocks having a common axis parallel to the rotational axle are slidably supported, a spring forcing the friction blocks part being inserted therebetween. The spring forces the friction block against arcuate friction surfaces on the brake block shoe, the friction surfaces being arranged in planes perpendicular to the rotational axle. The rotational axle passes through the brake block shoe adjacent its end remote from the vehicle wheel, while, due to the relatively heavy brake block, the center of gravity of the brake bloc shoe is located adjacent the vehicle wheel; the force of gravity thereby exercises a constant torque on the brake block shoe about the rotational axle, which tends to disturb the existing setting of the brake block shoe through the brake block regulator, and which must be absorbed by the brake block regulator. The brake block regulator must therefore be made strong, with great friction force, but there is nevertheless no assurance that, particularly in the presence of hard, vertical travel shocks, the brake block shoe will not be turned out of its desired position.